After more than six months on strike, about 300 mental health workers at Kaiser Permanente in San Diego may soon be back on the job. The National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW) has reached a tentative agreement with Kaiser after the 196-day strike. It was the longest mental health strike in California history according to the union.
The strike began in October, with union members demanding more time for patient tasks and better pay.
“We made some important progress on that front in terms of equity,” said former NUHW President Sal Rosselli. “We didn't get all the way there.”
Kaiser declined an interview, but said in a statement that if union members vote to ratify the agreement this Thursday, the contract would take effect immediately — clearing the way for employees to return to work later this week.
While the agreement may resolve the labor dispute, Rosselli said the broader struggle for mental health care parity will continue at the state level. He credited the strike for building momentum for two union-sponsored bills now advancing in the California legislature.
The first bill, AB 1429, would require Kaiser to reimburse patients for out-of-pocket costs related to mental health care from non-Kaiser providers going back to Oct. 2023.
“It provides for reimbursement for patients that need mental health care could not get it in Kaiser as required, you know, by the law even, and had to go outside of Kaiser network to receive the care,” he said.
The second bill, SB 747, would force major health systems to report how they compensate behavioral health workers compared to medical staff. The union said the transparency will help highlight pay gaps that contribute to staffing shortages.
“In Kaiser, our clinicians — many with PhDs, psychologists — make up to 50% less than physical therapists or occupational therapists on the medical side,” Rosselli said.
Kaiser and other health systems oppose both bills.
